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Beyond the alphabet

Beyond the alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the world of technology inside and outside the confines of Mountain View.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how I hoped to see the Android equivalent of an iPad Mini. While we have plenty of options to choose from if you want a powerful tablet with a big screen, smaller tablets usually come with unimpressive specs. More recently, I’ve been wondering if a small and powerful Android tablet is really necessary, given that I always carry a foldable phone with me.

In terms of performance, foldables take the cake, and it’s not even close. THE Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus Open uses the 8 Gen 2, and the Pixel 9 Pro foldable is based on the Tensor G4. Sure, the Pixel may not fall short of the other two foldables I mentioned, but it’s no slouch.

When it comes to tablets, there just aren’t many options if you want flagship specs but a screen smaller than 10 inches. Lenovo is really the only game in town, as the Legion Y700 sports an 8.8-inch display and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This poses a different problem, however, as the Y700 is not officially sold in the United States. United, which means you have to cross Giztop Or AliExpress to get one.

The smallest flagship tablet I’ve come across that’s readily available is the recently released RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet. It also uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but comes with a 10.9-inch display. While Samsung abandoned the 11-inch model with the Galaxy Tab S10, the Tab S9 and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are still available. But even then, we don’t know how long it will last, and it’s still too much.

Meanwhile, foldable phones offer screens that are exactly in the size range I’d like. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of the smallest with its 7.6-inch screen, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers an even larger 8.03-inch panel. Unfortunately, Vivo’s foldable has the same problem as the Y700, as you can’t just pick it up at Best Buy or Amazon.

That being said, do I Really do you need to jump through a bunch of hoops just to get a powerful tablet? Where are foldable phones simply the best overall option for those who have one or are considering one?

The short answer to this question should be pretty obvious. But there are a few obstacles that have prevented me from reaching a definitive conclusion.

Foldable phones are the best option for most, simply because they are both a phone and a tablet in one device. Thanks to the work that Samsung, Google, and OnePlus have put into the software, the experience is also largely the same between each company’s foldable phone and tablet offerings.

The biggest difference is multitasking, at least to some extent. A lot of best samsung phones and tablets include the ability to use DeX Modeessentially turning your device into a Chromebook. However, unlike the Galaxy Tab S9 or Tab S10, the only way to use DeX on the Fold 6 is to either connect to an external display or connect to it wirelessly. Meanwhile, you can simply press a button on the Galaxy Tab’s keyboard and switch from the traditional tablet interface to DeX mode.

This is not the case when looking at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel Tablet. Even running the latest version Android 15 beta, I can’t do anything other than mirror the 9 Pro Fold’s screen, which is just disappointing. My disappointment is further compounded by the fact that you can use desktop windowing on an external display with the Pixel 9 Pro XL but not with the Pro Fold.

On the bright side, after enabling the “Freeform Windows” toggle in Developer Options, I can have up to four floating windows on the Pixel tablet. Things work surprisingly well, and Google has done a great job of making things look better than they used to. The only downside is that this isn’t an out-of-the-box feature, but I expect that to change sooner rather than later.

Although OnePlus does not have a specific desktop mode for its Block 2 or the OnePlus Openhe has one more trick up his sleeve. You can actually use your phone Since the Pad 2, bringing Phone Mirroring to a tablet, something I didn’t have on my bingo card. Just as the experience is largely the same with Samsung devices, the different features and multitasking options are quite similar between the OnePlus Pad 2 and the Open.

One area where all the tablets mentioned have an advantage is using a stylus. Samsung includes one in the box, Google doesn’t sell one at all but relies on the ICU 2.0 standard, and although OnePlus offers one, you have to purchase it separately. But that’s not the benefit I’m talking about.

Except for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which doesn’t support the stylus, you’ll have to deal with the crease of foldable phones. Everything is fine for the most part and much better than before, but the crease can still be a source of frustration. None of these problems exist with the glass panels of a tablet. Drawing a straight line depends entirely on your ability to actually draw a straight line.

On the other hand, you don’t really want to take out the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra while you’re waiting in line at the store and want to turn a picture into a meme. The same feeling is true even with the OnePlus Pad 2 and Galaxy Tab S9. Meanwhile, provided you have the S Pen Fold Edition or the Oppo Pen, you can do just that with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or the OnePlus Open.

There’s no denying that foldable phones are more versatile than the best tablets or even Android phones. However, there is one argument to be made, and it is the most important of all: price.

Without considering trade-ins or offers, you can import the Lenovo Legion Y700 2024 16GB/512GB model from Giztop. for around $600. Hell, you could even go as far as adding the official leather case, Legion Gaming Controller G7, and Lenovo’s stylus, and you’d cost around $760.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,899, which includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you want to match the storage, the 512GB model will cost you just north of $2,000. Samsung doesn’t offer the Fold 6 with 16GB of RAM, and that doesn’t include the S Pen or case.

You’re looking at an extra $60 for the stylus only or $100 if you want the official S Pen case. At that price, I could buy two Y700 tablets, with accessories, and still have money to buy a few different controllers or an external SSD to house my ROM collection.

There is a good chance that you will change your mind in the very near future. The 2024 holiday shopping season is already in progresswith Black Friday fast approaching.

If Prime Day was anything to go by, then I suspect we’ll see some pretty incredible deals pop up for foldable phones and tablets. With that in mind, don’t jump on the first offer you see just for the sake of it. Despite everything, I hope to benefit from significant discounts on foldable phonesbut I think there will be plenty of deals on the shelves as well.

As much as I wish foldable phones would take over the world and replace the slabs of glass we’ve depended on for years, we’re just not there yet. Frankly, I don’t know if we’ll ever get there with folding books like flip phones continue to gain popularity.

Simply based on price and ignoring all the convenience that foldables offer, tablets are even better. Now I just need companies to release these small and powerful tablets in the United States, so I don’t have to pay extra just to import one.